Wired!

SUBMARINE CABLES have been in existence for perhaps half a century already but not until recently did I realize how much of these are already laid in and around Philippine waters. †I vaguely remember one of my ECE instructors in Saint Louis University — College of Engineering and Architecture discussing the theoretical frameworks behind submarine cables.

The idea that there are thousand of kilometers of cables in the bottom of the ocean connecting countries all over the world seemed too much for me to fathom (pun intended) way back in 1991-1992 (ooops… did I just reveal how old I already am?). But having recently seen a presentation by Globe Telecoms showing how their network is connected to the rest of the world through submarine cables made me realize how ubiquitous submarine cables have become. †There must be thousands and thousands of kilometers of submarine cables out there (or down there) crisscrossing each other on the ocean floors.

The concept of †FIBER OBPTIC CABLES†was another hard-to-comprehend subject for me way back in college. †How the hell can data be transmitted over thinner-than-hair and very long stretches of mirrors? †How do you even make wires out of glass in the first place? (won’t they break?) †Of course nowadays fiber optic cables are the backbones of our cellular phone and data networks. †Of course not many people know this.

Looking at the Globe presentation of their nationwide fiber optic cable network, both existing and planned, I couldn’t help but wonder how “wired” the Philippines has become. †And then of course that is just Globe. †Add to that the fiber optic cable network of PLDT/Smart, Digitel/Sun Cellular, Eastern Telecoms, Bayantel, etc. and you can just imagine what a tangled mass of wires there are.

Isn’t it ironic that what catches the fancy of most people today is the word “Wireless.” †Wireless is IN, wired is passÈ. †Unknown to most of us, it is the under-appreciated “wired” world of submarine cables and fiber optic networks that make our “wireless” conveniences possible.